Apparatus and method for incorporating straws in bottled beverages



June 12, 1962 G D QUISEL 3,038,281

APPARATUS AND MET HOD FOR INCORPORATING STRAWS IN BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12, 1962 G. D. QUISEL 3,038,281

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INCORPORATING STRAWS IN BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAW/W I4 AvmQ/YHJ.

June 12, 1962 G. D. QUISEL 3,038,281

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INCORPORATING STRAWS IN BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 we Q Q g Q R Q w m N w o 1 WI/ENTOIQ Gamma @0554 United States Patent fiice 3,038,281 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INCORPORAT- ING STRAWS IN BOTTLED BEVERAGES Gordon D. Quisel, 1920 Main St., La Cresse, Wis. Filed Dec. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 856,527 23 Claims. (Cl. 5325) This invention relates to apparatus and methods for successfully installing straws in capped or sealed containers of liquid beverages such as bottled soda pop, milk in bottles or in cartons and the like.

A sanitary straw incorporated in a capped beverage container is convenient to the user because it readily places at his disposal the beverage and a sanitary straw simultaneously, avoiding the inconvenience of having to maintain and have available such straws as separate items. Such an arrangement is also highly convenient to the seller or distributor, particularly at gatherings such as picnics, ball games, band concerts and other public performances where beverages, and particularly soft drinks, are sold and consumed in large quantities and where the user does not normally have a straw available. Thus, a beverage incorporating a sanitary straw therein may be opened and dispensed in the usual fashion without the seller having to maintain a separate supply of straws on hand, and without the inconvenient and time consuming extra step of the seller having to see that the customer is supplied with such a straw. In addition, such an arrangement whereby a straw is incorporated in a bottled beverage, particularly soda pop, is highly attractive to children as a means for promoting sales.

Although bottling a beverage with a straw included in the container is highly attractive as noted above, the apparatus and methods for achieving such a result, particularly on a commercial scale, presents many diificult problems which have been solved by the apparatus and methods of this, my invention.

Therefore, an object of my invention is novel apparatus and methods for placing a sanitary straw in a bottled beverage.

Still another object is apparatus and methods for incorporating in a bottled beverage a resilient sanitary straw of greater length than the bottle, which straw is deformed and depressed in the capped bottle but which is released to extend above the lip of the bottle when uncapped to be readily available to the lips of the user without the end thereof having to be handled by soiled or unsanitary fingers.

A further object is apparatus and methods of the class above described in which a straw is injected into a bottle and conditioned or deformed prior to entering the capping operation to prevent the straw in the bottle from interfering with the capping operation.

A still further object is apparatus and methods of the class above described which are readily incorporated into existing bottling plants under mass production type continuous operations without modification or interference with presently employed bottling apparatus, practices, methods and techniques.

A further object is a method of installing straws within containers in rapid succession prior to the capping of such containers, the installation of said straws being accomplished in such fashion that the normal speed of the conventional bottling apparatus is not interfered with or slowed down and the application of the cap or the sealing of the container is not interfered with by the presence of the straw therewithin.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more readily appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the 3,038,281 Patented June 12, 1962 same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of my invention in assembled relationship with conventional bottling and capping mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the hopper and ejection mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view illustrating the movements of the bottles in relation to the bottling and straw mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a schematic presentation illustrating the successive steps employed in my method for inserting a straw in a bottled beverage;

FIG. 7 is a detail elevational view on an enlarged scale of the straw injection mechanism; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view in partial section illustrating malfunctioning of the crowner when the straw is improperly positioned in a bottle.

Reference is now made to the drawings for a more detailed description of the preferred embodiments of my invention, and particularly to FIG. 1 which shows apparatus for carrying out the method of my invention incorporated with a conventional bottling and capping mechanism which might be found in any bottling plant. The portion of the bottling and capping mechanism shown includes a filler mechanism indicated generally by the letter F in the background, and in the foreground a capping mechanism indicated generally by the letter C ineluding a capping head or crowner 10 and a chute 11 for successively delivering bottle caps to the capping head for ultimate placement on bottles successively and continuously passing thereunder.

The apparatus employed to carry out the method of my invention is mounted in such fashion in regards to the bottling mechanism that there is no interference with its normal operation and my apparatus may be incorporated therewith without any modification in the previously existing apparatus. The straw in most instances is preferably inserted into the bottle immediately prior to the bottles passing beneath the crowner, and FIG. 1 illustrates one form of apparatus for successfully accomplishing this insertion, said apparatus including a hopper mechanism and ejector unit therefor indicated generally by H and straw injector mechanism indicated generally by I.

The hopper mechanism H of my invention includes a hopper 12 mounted in elevated condition on a suitable standard 13 and reinforced by suitable bracing members 14. Mounted adjacent the lower ends of the hopper is a motor 15 which drives the arms 16 of an excentric or pitman oscillator for vibrating the funnel or chute portions 12a of the hopper as hereinafter more fully described.

Another motor 17 is provided for driving a pair of straw propelling wheels more fully described hereinafter and best seen in FIG. 4. p

The operation of the motors 15 and 17 are controlled by means of a suitable switch box 18 having a pair of suitable manual switch elements 18a.

The lower end of the hopper funnel 12a is provided with an ejection nozzle 19 which is fitted with an elongate flexible tubular conduit 20 arcuately guiding and directing the straws from the hopper to the bottle.

Another vertical standard 21 is mounted adjacent the path of travel of the bottles B and preferably at a location adjacent the point of entry of the bottles to the capper, and is adapted to receive in removable adjustable fashion thereon an elongate supporting collar 22 which supports and has rigidly secured thereto a suitable mounting bracket 23. The mounting bracket 23 has suspended therefrom a pair of spaced apart elongate generally horiontally disposed guide members 24 which are disposed above and in line with the path of travel of the bottles as they approach the capping mechanism, the guide members 24 being adapted to direct the bottles to and position the same below the discharge end 26a of the tubular conduit to permit the straws to be discharged therefrom into the open topped bottles. The mounting bracket 23 also supports an elongate downwardly and forwardly inclined bafile member 25 which extends substantially to and just short of the capping head 10, said baliie member being adapted to engage the exposed portion of the straw extending above the top of the bottle and bend the same in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the bottle and away from the crowner 10 in a manner and for a purpose more fully described hereinafter.

As best seen in FIG. 7, the mounting bracket 23 also supports a solenoid micro-switch 26 enclosed in a waterproof housing, which switch is operated by a star wheel 27 having a plurality of equi-spaced radially extending bottle engaging fingers 27a, said wheel being mounted on the depending shaft 28 of the solenoid switch. The fingers 27a of the star wheel 27 are adapted to be successively engaged by the bottles as they approach the discharge end of the tubular conduit '20 to successively index the wheel 27 and shaft 28 to operate the rnicro-switch in synchronied relation to the rate of travel of the bottles, the micro-switch and ejector mechanism being timed in such manner that a straw arrives at the discharge end of the conduit 20 at precisely the same moment that the bottle moving along the line is disposed therebelow. The discharge end of the conduit 20 may be supported by a universal or swivel element 41 carried by the bracket 23, said swivel allowing the injector tube 20 to swing backward and forward to time the straw entering the bottle in synchronization with the solenoid switch. An additional supporting arm 42 may also be utilized to brace or maintain the ejector tube 20 in the arcuate condition desired to prevent crimping or bending thereof due to the weight thereof to thereby cause an obstruction to movement of the straws therewithin.

The hopper 12 includes an enlarged upper portion defined by the housing 29, the lower sides 2% of which converge inwardly and taper downwardly to communicate with the funnel or chute portion 12a thereof. The funnel portion 12a includes a pair of converging downwardly inclined side walls disposed within the exterior housing 48 thereof which are resiliently mounted at their upper ends to be overlapped by the upper hopper housing sides 29a by means of rod-like elements 31. The side walls 30 carry a plurality of generally horizontally disposed baffle plates 32 which extend into the chamber defined by the side walls 30 alternately from opposite sides to provide a tortuous path for the straws S passing from the upper hopper housing 29 to the funnel 12a. The side walls 30 of the funnel portion 12a are adapted to be rapidly vibrated or swung in reciprocating fashion towards and away from each other by means of the pair of pitmans 16 located at the opposing front and back ends of the funnel 1 2a, the working ends of the pitman 16 being interconnected by a rod-like link 16]) on one side of the chute, and transversely linked to a corresponding rod 16c on the opposite side for simultaneous movement thereof, said rods 16b and 160 riding in slots 16a in the housing and repeatedly striking the opposing ends of the slots 16a to vibrate or continuously reciprocate the walls 30 and maintain the straws contained therewithin in loose unstuck condition, and move the straws downwardly from baffie to baffle, said pitman being driven by the motor 15. The hopper 12 may also be provided with a source of heat such as heat lamps 33 for heating the straws S passing t-herethrough to a predetermined temperature, which heating is provided in one of the preferred forms of my invention to be described in more detail hereinafter.

The lower discharge end of the funnel 12a communicates with a narrow vertically disposed magazine 34 which is adapted to confine the straws therein in tiered fashion one above the other as best seen in FIG. 3. The lower end of the magazine 34 receives and encloses the upper ends or" a vertical member 35 which provides a rest surface or launching platform 35a which is adapted to position and align the lowermost straw in the magazine for guided movement to the straw propelling wheels 36.

The straw propelling wheels 36 are mounted for rotation in a common plane and contiguous to one another and are provided with opposed peripheral grooves 36a, the opposed peripheral grooves 36a defining a narrow opening for receiving the straws, which opening is smaller in cross section than the cross sectional size of the straws to enable said straws to be somewhat compressed or squeezed therebetween. The wheels 36 are driven by the motor 17 through the medium of a suitable drive shaft 37 which drives one of the wheels 36 directly and drives the other wheel simultaneously in an opposite direction by the cooperative engagement and inter-meshing of the gear teeth 3612 provided on each of the peripheral portions of the wheels 36. As viewed in FIG. 4, the wheels 36 are driven so as to receive the straw S from the magazine 34 and deliver the same to the nozzle 19 at a rather high velocity. The rate of rotation of the wheels 36 may vary according to the individual circumstances, but in a preferred form of my invention they are rotated at the rate of about 10 thousand revolutions per minute at which speed the wheels are adapted to propell the straws therefrom and through the nozzle 19 and tubular conduit 2% at a rate on the order of 42 hundred feet per minute.

The straws are ejected from the magazine 34 to the Wheels 36 by means of an ejector mechanism which includes an ejector arm 38 disposed behind and in alignment with the bottom of the magazine and the launching platform 35a, which ejector arm 38 is operated by a continuous duty solenoid 39, the ejector arm 38 being spring loaded by means of the spring elements 40, the solenoid being operated by means of the previously described micro-switch 26.

The straws employed must he elastic and resilient in nature and are preferably of a thermo-plastic material such as polyethylene. In any event, the straws must be resilient and elastic in nature and may or may not be thermo-plastic depending on the individual circumstances and which form of my invention is adopted.

The straws to be sealed within the bottles, as previously noted, must be resilient and elastic in nature so that when the same are deformed within the bottle by being pressed therein by the cap or crown, they will be only temporarily deformed and will not be permanently crimped or otherwise permanently distorted so as to render them substantially unuseable when the bottle is uncapped. In addition, the straws must be sui'liciently resilient to permit them to spring outwardly and regain substantially their original unbent form when the bottle is uncapped. The individual straws are cut to lengths which exceed the height of the bottles into which they are to be inserted so that when the bottle is uncapped, the upper ends of the straws extend above the upper open ends of the bottles a sufiicient distance to be readily grasped by the lips of the user without necessitating the handling of the straw by the fingers of the user. Thus, the straw must be capable not only of not being permanently deformed when compressed within the bottle but must also be sufiiciently resilient to regain substantially its original form and spring out of the bottle when the cap is released therefrom.

Not only must the straws be sufficiently elastic and resilient to resist permanent deformation and distortion when compressed within the bottle by the sealing cap, but in addition the straws must also be capable of withstanding permanent deformation when subjected to the shock of being shot into the bottles at the high speeds necessary for incorporation of apparatus of this nature into a conventional continuous bottling operation wherein the bottles are moving at a rapid rate through the bottling and capping mechanism.

In view of the requirements for the straw set forth above, it is obvious that conventional straws made of tubular paper stock are not at all suitable for this type of operation. In seeking to find a suitable straw I have conducted numerous tests on various types of straws and to date have found that a straw made of tubular polyethylene stock is by far the most satisfactory for use in my operations. The straws which have been tested have been subjected to special crush tests to determine the extent of permanent deformation which results from compression thereof and as previously indicated the polyethylene straws have proved to be the most satisfactory to date.

FIG. illustrates in rather schematic fashion in top plan the movements of a bottle passing through a typical soft drink bottling mechanism including the relation of the straw injector mechanism with respect thereto. In FIG. 5 an empty bottle indicated at position B1 is shown in the course of its movement along a continuous conveyor system 44. The empty bottle from the position B1 is carried by the continuous conveyor belt 44 to a star wheel 45 which in the drawing is illustrated as rotating in a clockwise direction. The bottle is then carried by the star wheel 45 beneath a suitable spout 50 disposed thereabove such as at the position indicated by B2 where the bottle is filled with the necessary syrup forming the base for the soft drink. The star wheel 45 then carries the bottle around the periphery thereof in clock-wise direction and passes the bottle to another star wheel 46 which in turn carries the syrup filled bottle to a larger diametered wheel 47 which is also rotating in a clock-wise direction in FIG. 5. As the bottle travels around the wheel 47 it is filled with carbonated water and gas. The wheel 47 then delivers the bottle now filled with syrup, water and gas back to wheel 46 on the opposite side thereof where it is picked up by the star wheel 46 and delivered again to star wheel 45 as at position B3, position B3 being located immediately prior to a bottle entering the crowner It). It is at this point B3 that the straws are preferably injected into the bottles by the injector mechanism previously above described.

The bottle having a -straw inserted therein then moves from the position B3 to the position B4 immediately beneath the cap carried by the crowner N where it is sealed or provided with the sealing cap and then delivered by the star wheel 45 to the position B5 on the conveyor belt 44 from whence the bottles are delivered to a casing mechanism or operation not shown.

In describing the method of my invention, it must be borne in mind that the method and the apparatus for carrying out the method have been designed for incorporation into and in cooperation with existing conventional bottling machines without modification thereof or interference therewith. Since bottling machines vary in size, operation, and relative relationships of their component parts, the details of my method and apparatus must necessarily vary according to the individual installations encountered. However, any method adopted according to my invention will basically incorporate the steps of inserting a resilient elastic straw having a length s-uflicient to permit a substantial portion of the upper end thereof to extend above the lip of the bottle, conditioning or positioning the straw so as not to unseat the sealing capin the crowner, and sealing or capping the bottle or container to depress the straw therewithin in a tensioned con dition capable of regaining substantially its original normal elongate unbent form upon the unsealing of the bottle or container.

In one preferred method of my invention as illustrated in the attached drawings, apparatus of the nature generally previously described above is incorporated into a conventional bottling and capping mechanism to accomplish the method of my invention. A plurality of straws of suitable length are supplied to the hopper 12 and are vibrated therewithin after falling into the chute 12a to maintain the straws therewithin in free moving independent condition and to prevent sticking or massing thereof and cause the straws to fall freely into the magazine 34. The bottles are successively and continuously carried by the star wheel as between the guide members 24 to position the bottles beneath the discharge or delivery end Zita of the tubular conduit 20. As the bottles are successively passed by the star wheel 46 through the guide members 24- the bottles successively engage a switch actuator such as the fingers 27a of the star wheel 27 t0 successively trip the mirco-switch 26 and synchronously operate therethrough the ejector arm 38 which successively ejects or kicks out the individual straws from the magazine 34 and delivers them to the propelling wheels 36 which receive and propel the straws into the nozzle 19 and through the conduit 20 for successive delivery to the bottles as they are successively positioned beneath the discharge end 2011 of the conduit Ztl.

In the preferred manner of charging the straws to the bottles, I prefer that the straws be shot into the bottles at an angle offset to the vertical so that the lower ends of the straws are directed into a bottom corner of the bottle to angularly dispose the straw with respect to the bottle, such angular disposition and engagement of the lower end of the straw with the lower corner portion of the bottle serving to materially aid in preventing the straws from springing out of the bottle immediately upon being shot therein in view of the resilient nature of the straws and the high rate of speed and amount of force with which they are shot into the bottles. Thus, if the straws were to be delivered directly downwardly into the bottle at the rates of speed contemplated by this invention, the majority of the straws would under normal circumstances engage the bottom of the bottle and bounce directly back out of the bottle through the upper open end thereof, which situation is obviously undesirable. In most instances, as previously indicated, it is preferable to insert the straws into the bottles after they have received their full charge of liquid, the liquid contained in the "bottles serving to cushion the shock of the insertion of the straw into the bottle and materially assisting in preventing the straw from bouncing thereout.

Since most soft drinks are very effervescent because they employ charged water, the straw is normally unstable within the bottle containing the effervescent liquid and it is therefore preferable to insert or inject the straws into the bottle as close as possible to the capping operation and in most instances it is preferable that the bottle be capped within three seconds of the time that the straw enters the bottle and it is preferred, where possible, that this time lag between insertion of the straw in the bottle and the capping of the bottle be closer to one second or less.

After the straws have been inserted in the bottles, the bottles are immediately carried to and beneath the crowner or capping head 10 for application of the sealing capto the bottle. In most of the conventional crowners or capping heads, the crown or cap 48 as best seen in FIG. 8 is loosely seated above the bottle receiving Opening in the crowner, having been delivered thereto from the delivery chute 11 best seen in FIGS. 1 and 8 through a suitable guide slot 49 adjacent one side of the aperture which guide slot is normally disposed on the side of the opening opposed to that from which the bottle passes underneath the cap. The peculiar seating of the cap in the crowner and the arrangement of the guide slots is important since it presents a particularly difficult problem with regards to the portion of the straw projecting above the bottle, since the straw, if not conditioned or positioned properly, will unseat the cap as the bottle passes therebelow and cause malfunctioning of the crowner.

To prevent the straw from interfering with the crowner and unseating the cap, the exposed portion of the straw extending above the lip of the bottle must be conditioned or positioned so as not to interfere with the capper or unseat the crown. To accomplish this, several arrangements may be employed depending upon the particular conditions involved, the problem of unseating the cap being best illustrated by the somewhat diagrammatic sketch shown in FIG. 8. It should also be noted at this point that in some rare circumstances the straw does not need to be positioned or conditioned prior to passing beneath the crowner and this situation occurs where there is sufficient clearance between the top of the straw and the cap or crown as the bottle passes therebelow to prevent engagement of the straw with the cap or crown until the actual seating of the cap on the bottle takes place. However, in most cases this situation does not exist and therefore it has been necessary for me to devise special means for conditioning or positioning the straw to prevent its unseating the bottle cap as it approaches the cap beneath the crown. In one form of my invention battle means are provided for engaging the exposed portion of the straw immediately after it has been inserted in the bottle, said battle means being indicated by the bafile plate 2-5 which extends forwardly from the guide members 24 and the discharge end Zita of the conduit 20 to substantially span the distance to the crowner or capping head It the baifie member being downwardly inclined as it approaches the crowner to bend the exposed portion of the straws downwardly and direct the exposed outer end rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the bottle in the manner of the schematic diagram of FIG. 5. Thus, the exposed portions of the straws are directed rearwardly as the bottle passes beneath the crowner and do not engage the bottle cap or crown until the bottle is positioned directly beneath the crown and the actual application of the crown to the bottle head has begun. A this point engagement of the straw with the crown or cap will not cause unseating thereof or malfunctioning of the capping mechanism.

However, it can readily be seen that if the exposed upper ends of the straw were permitted to be directed in the direction of movement as the bottles entered beneath the crowner, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the upper end of the straw would normally engage the cap and push the same back into the slot which leads from the bottle cap chute 11 to the capping seat and which is disposed in the direction of the oncoming bottles, which unseating and movement into the slot would cause malfunctioning of the capping mechanism. To aid in the correct positioning of the straw, it is also preferable to not only inject the straws initially into the bottles at the lower corners thereof but more particularly to inject the lower end of the straw into the front corner portons of the bottle thereby normally causing the exposed portion of the straw to be directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of movement of the bottle.

In some circumstances it is preferable to employ a steel wire as a striker or b affie instead of the plate type baffle 25 shown in the drawings. Also, in some circumstances the bafile either cannot be employed or additional means must be applied in addition to the baffle element for conditioning and positioning the exposed portion of the straw so as to avoid its interference with the capping mechanism and the unseating of the crown therewithin. This situation may occur where the crowner does not raise high enough on the bottle or where the space between the star wheels 45 and 46 is confined to such a small area that the baffle cannot conveniently be employed. In such circumstances I have found it highly successful to place the straws in a temporarily'limp condition and remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom temporarily to enable the straws to pass readily under the crowner and not disturb the cap seated loosely therein. Since in the finished bottle assembly the straws are to be maintained in tensioned resilient condition within the sealed bottle or container, the limp condition of the straws prior to the capping of the bottle must be only a temporary condition and the straw must return to its tensioned resilient form within the bottle after sealing thereof. In such instances, I employ a straw made from tubular stock which is thermo-plastic in nature such as polyethelene. Thus, where temporary limpness is to be induced in the straw, the material from which the straw is made is very important since the straw must not only be capable of being converted to a temporarily limp non-resilient condition but must also be of a nature to be resilient and elastic in nature under normal circumstances and after removal of the temporary limpness.

T o induce limpness of a temporary nature in the straws, I preferably employ, as previously noted, a thermo-plastic straw which is capable of being heated as by the heat lamps 33 in the hopper to a temperature commonly referred to as the plastic temperature, at which temperature the resiliency and elasticity of the material is suppressed and removed from the straw and renders the same in a limp condition, the straw when in limp condition normally being unable to unseat the cap in the capping head, or to cause malfunctioning of the crowner. The hopper may also be provided with suitable means for circulating the warm air therewithin provided by the heat lamps 33 to maintain a substantially uniform temperature throughout, which circulating means may take the form of a blower, (not shown). When a straw of tubular polyethelene stock is employed, which material has been found to be the most desirable to data for use in my invention, the straws are heated generally within the broad range of 230 degrees Fahrenheit, and preferably within the range of about to degrees Fahrenheit to render the straws in a plastic or semi-plastic condition and induce limpness therein. At the same time the heating must be carefully performed to prevent overheating of the straws which would likely cause permanent deformation of the straw. Therefore; the temperature must be carefully controlled within a temperature range which will render the straws in a limp condition without melting the same or causing the straws to assume some form other than the normal tubular form desired. Where the straws are heated to a plastic temperature to induce limpness therein, a striker wire or baflle element may also be employed to position the end of the straw away from the crown as it passes under the crowner to insure that there would be no malfunctioning of the capping mechanism, or to protect the operation in cases where the straws are not in as limp a condition as might be desired.

The temperature of the liquid in the bottles is normally in the range of 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit as they come from the filling mechanism and this cooling temperature of the liquid within the bottle will serve to quickly cool the straw below the plastic temperature and restore the same to its normal resilient elastic condition within a short space of time. Therefore, when this alternate form of my invention is employed which includes the heating of the straws to a plastic temperature to induce limpness therein, the straws must be injected into the bottles containing the cooling liquid immediately prior to the bottles entering the capping mechanism to prevent the straws from being cooled below the plastic temperature and recovering their resilient elastic condition prior to the application of the cap thereto since an excessive delay in time between the insertion of the heated straw in the bottle and the positioning of the bottles below the capper head will result in defeating the purpose of heating the straws since the resiliency will have been restored at too early a time.

In summation, a preferred method of my invention briefly stated consists in inserting a straw at high speed into a series of continuously moving bottles, at least partially filled with liquid, through the unsealed open end thereof, preferably at an angle offset from the vertical so that the lower end of the straw strikes the lower corner of the bottle and is prevented from bouncing outward therefrom; rendering the exposed portion of the straws in non-interfering condition and position with the capping mechanism which non-interfering condition may be accomplished by bathing or striking the exposed portion of the straw to position the same away from the direction of movement of the bottles into the capping mechanism or which may take the form of the inducement of a temporary limp condition in the straws through heating to the plastic temperature thereof; the conditioned straws in the bottles then successively passed into and beneath the capping mechanism to have the cap or crown installed thereon, which cap depresses the straw within the bottle and retains the same therewithin in a tensioned condition, so that when the bo tle is subsequently uncapped the straw will spring out and present an exposed portion which is readily graspable by the lips of the user without requiring the user to handle the straw with his fingers.

From the foregoing, the advantages of my invention are readily apparent. The method of accomplishing the sealing of the straw within the bottle and the apparatus for accomplishing the same are readily incorporated in existing conventional bottling plants or mechanisms without modification or interruption thereof which apparatus and method may be readily adapted to various types of plant conditions by simple modification of certain details of my method and apparatus.

In addition, the method and apparatus are designed to prevent interference with or malfunctioning of the capping mechanism, the apparatus and method being simple enough in construction and operation and application to permit the straws to be incorporated in tensioned form within the bottles at a relatively nominal cost to the bottler where continuous high production rate operations are involved.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a sealed container housing a beverage and a tensioned resilient straw of tubular stock adapted to extend and partially emerge from said container when unsealed, the method of preparing said sealed container comprising inserting said straw into said container through an opening in the upper end thereof in such fashion as to leave a portion of the upper end of said straw extending above the container in exposed fashion, and moving said container towards and beneath a sealing mechanism having a closure element loosely carried thereby, positioning the exposed portion of said straw in a direction generally opposed to the direction of movement of said container to prevent unseating of said closure element, and sealing said container with said closure element to depress the straw within the container and maintain the same in tensioned con dition therewithin.

2. A method of preparing a sealed container containing a beverage and a resilient straw of tubular stock which extends outwardly of the container when said container is unsealed, said method comprising inserting said straw into the upper open end of a container progressing towards a sealing mechanism having a closure element loosely carried thereby, said straw being injected into said container diagonally from the vertical and positioned so that the lower end thereof engages the lower leading interior edge of said container and the upper end thereof is directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of progression, and moving said container beneath said sealing mechanism and applying said closure element to said container thereby depressing the straw within the container and maintaining said straw in tensioned condition therewithin.

3. A method of preparing a sealed container containing a beverage and a normally resilient straw adapted to extend outwardly of the container when unsealed, said method comprising treating said straw to temporarily remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom, injecting said treated straw into said container, sealing said container to confine the treated straw therewithin, and returning said treated straw to its normal resilient nature to confine the same within said container in tensioned form.

4. A method of preparing a sealed container containing a beverage and a normally resilient thermo-plastic straw adapted to extend outwardly of the container when unsealed, said method comprising heating said straw to a plastic temperature sufficient to temporarily induce limpness in said straw, inserting said limp straw in an unsealed container and sealing said container thereby confining the straw within the container and cooling said straw below said plastic temperature to remove the limpness therefrom and maintain the straw within the sealed container in a deformed tensioned condition.

5. A method of preparing a sealed container containing a beverage and a straw adapted to extend outwardly of the container when unsealed, said method comprising heating a normally resilient straw of tubular polyethelene stock to a plastic temperature range of to 230 degrees Fahrenheit to remove at least a portion of the resiliency from said straw and place the same in a limp condition, injecting the heated straw into said container through an opening in the upper end thereof, sealing said container to confine said straw therewithin While still in limp condition, and cooling said straw below its plastic temperature to restore the normal resiliency thereto and maintain said straw within the sealed container in tensioned condition.

6. A method of preparing a sealed contained containing a beverage and a straw adapted to extend outwardly of a container when unsealed, said method comprising heating a normally resilient straw of tubular thermoplastic stock to a plastic temperature to remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom and place the same in a limp condition, injecting the heated straw into a container containing a liquid beverage having a temperature less than the plastic temperature of the straw, and immediately scaling said container after the injection of the heated straw therein to confine said straw therewithin, said liquid cooling said straw below its plastic temperature to restore the normal resiliency thereto and confine it within said container in tensioned condition.

7. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in first positioning straws constructed of elastic tubular stock and longer than the height of said bottles whereby said straws normally extend above said bottles when inserted therein in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively guiding said straws through such movement and successively introducing the same in a moving line of bottles through the open upper ends thereof as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course towards a conventional bottle capping mechanism, successively moving the bottles containing the straws into the path of operation of said capping mechanism and partially depressing and bending the exposed upper portion of said straws in a direction generally away from the capping mechanism as the bottles are positioned therebeneath, and successively capping the bottles with their straws so positioned with sealing caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straw downwardly into the bottle tensioning the straw in deformed condition and retaining the straws within said bottles in said tensioned condition.

8. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in first successively positioning straws constructed of resilient tubular stock in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successfully guiding said straws through such movement and forcibly propelling and suc cessively introducing the same into a moving line of at least partially filled bottles diagonally through the open upper ends thereof at an angle offset from the vertical as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course, moving the bottles successively containing the straws into the path of operation of a conventional bottle capper mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straws downwardly into the bottle, tensioning the same into curved form and retaining the straws in such tensioned form.

9. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in first successively positioning straws constructed of normally elastic thermoplastic tubular stock in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, heating said straws to a plasticizing temperature to remove at least a portion of the elasticity therefrom and place said straws in a temporary limp condition, successively guiding said heated straws through said predetermined movement and forcibly and successively introducing the same into at least partially filled bottles through the open upper end thereof, said bottles moving through a predetermined course, moving the bottles successievly containing the straws into the path of operation of a bottle capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps to confine the straws therewithin and cooling the straws below the plastic temperature thereof to restore their normal elasticity and retain said straws within said bottles in deformed tensioned condition.

10. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in first successively positioning straws constructed of resilient tubular stock in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively guiding said straws through such movement and forcibly and successively introducing the same into a moving line of bottles through the open upper ends thereof at an angle offset from the vertical as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course, said straws being introduced diagonally downwardly into said bottles in the general direction of movement of said bottles whereby the lower end of said straws strikes the leading interior portion of said bottles and whereby the straws are diagonally positioned in said bottles so that the exposed upper end portion is directed away from the direction of movement of said bottles, successively moving the bottles with their straws so positioned into the path of operation of a conventional bottle capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with scaling caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straws downwardly into the bottles, tensioning the same into curved form and retaining the straws within the bottles in such tensioned form.

11. A method of continuously and successively prepar ing bottle drink assemblies which consist in conditioning normally resilient straws of tubular stock to remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom and place the same in a temporarily substantially limp condition, successively positioning said straws in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively guiding said conditioned straws through said predetermined movement and successively introducing the same into bottles moving through a predetermined course through the upper ends thereof, and moving the bottles successively containing the straws into the path of operation of a bottle capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps to confine the straws therewithin, and restoring the confined straws to their normal resiliency to confine said straws within said bottles in deformed tensioned condition.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 including positioning of the upper end portions of said straws away from the direction of movement of said bottles prior to their admission to the bottle-capping mechanism.

13. The method set forth in claim 12 including inserting the straws into bottles which are at least partially filled with liquid.

14. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in first successively positioning straws constructed of resilient tubular stock and long enough to have an exposed portion project upwardly from said bottles when freely standing therein in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successievly guiding said straws through such movement and forcibly and successively introducing the same into a moving line of at least partially 15 filled bottles through the open upper ends thereof as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course, bending the upper ends of the straws away from the direction of movement of said bottles, and moving the bottles successively containing the straws so bent into the path of operation of a conventional bottle-capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straws downwardly into the bottle, tensioning the same into curved form and retaining the straws in such tensioned form.

15. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies which consist in first successively positioning straws constructed of normally elastic thermo-plastic tubular stock in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, heating said straws to a plastic temperature to remove at least a portion of the elasticity therefrom and place said straws in a temporarily substantially limp condition, successively guiding said heated straws through said predetermined movement and forcibly and successively introducing the same diagonally into the open upper ends of bottles moving through a predetermined course, moving the bottles successively containing the straws into the path of operation of a bottle capping mechanism and successively 4 capping the bottles with sealing caps to confine the straws therewithin, and cooling the confined straws below the plastic temperature thereof to restore their normal elasticity and to retain said straws within said botles in deformed tensioned condition.

16. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies which consist in heating straws constructed of normally resilient thermo-plastic polyethylene tubular stock to a plastic temperature to remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom and place said straws in a temporarily substantially limp condition, positioning said heated straws in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively guiding said heated straws through said predetermined movement and successively introducing the same diagonally into the open upper ends of bottles moving through a predetermined course, said bottles containing liquid having a temperature below the plastic temperature of said straws, and moving the bottles successively containing the straws into the path of operation of a bottle capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps to confine the straws therewithin while still in a limp condition, the liquid within the bottles cooling the straws contained therewithin below their plastic temperature and restoring their normal resiliency to retain said straws within said bottles in tensioned condition.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein the upper ends of said straws are positioned to face away from the direction of movement of said bottles prior to their admission to the bottle capping mechanism.

18. In combination with conventional bottle filling and capping mechanism for continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies, apparatus for introducing a straw into each bottle prior to the sealing thereof which straw is adapted to extend above the top of said bottle when in unsealed condition, said apparatus comprising means for successively channeling said bottles to a predetermined straw receiving position, injection means disposed above said position for directing a straw longitudinally and diagonally into the upper open end of a bottle disposed therebelow, means for guiding the movement of said straws along a course of predetermined movement to said injection means, and means successively introducing said straws into said guide means in synchronization with the movement of said bottles so that each of said straws is projected from said injection means as its respective bottle is disposed therebeneath.

19. In combination with conventional bottle filling and capping mechanism for continuously and successively preparing bottle drink assemblies, apparatus for introducing a straw into each bottle as it moves along a predetermined path towards said capping mechanism, which straws are adapted to extend above the top of said bottles when the same are in unsealed condition, said apparatus comprising means for successively channeling said bottles to a predetermined straw receiving position, an elongate tubular member having one end thereof disposed above said position for injecting a straw longitudinally into the upper open end of a bottle disposed therebelow, the other end of said tubular member being disposed and in straw receiving alignment with a pair of juxtaposed co-planar propelling wheels each having peripheral grooves in opposition to one another, the opening defined by said peripheral grooves being adapted to receive a straw from one side thereof and propell said straws from the other side thereof at a high velocity into said tubular member, a launching platform for longitudinally aligning said straws with the peripheral opening between said wheels, hopper means for successively and continuously delivering straws to said launching platform, recoil operated ejector mechanism for successively engaging the straws on said launching platform and projecting same to said propelling wheels and means for synchronizing the action of said ejector mechanism with the movement of said bottles to deliver said straws successively to the discharge end of said tubular member simultaneously with the positioning of a bottle therebelow, said control means including switch means operated by successive engagement with the bottles as they move along their predetermind path, and bame means disposed intermediate said predetermined position, and said capping mechanism for positioning the upper end of said straws away from the direction of movement of said bottles and said capping mechanism to prevent said straws from unseating the caps loosely carried by said capping mechanism prior to the application of said caps to said bottles.

20. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies which consists in conditioning normally resilient straws of tubular stock to temporarily remove at least a portion of the resiliency therefrom and place the straws in a substantially limp condition, successively positioning said straws in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively guiding said straws through such movement and forcibly and successively introducing the same into a moving line of bottles through the open upper end thereof at an angle oifset from the vertical as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course, positioning said straws so that the exposed upper end portion is directed away from the direction of movement of said bottles, successively moving the bottles containing the positioned straws into the path of operation of a conventional bottle capping mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straws downwardly into the bottles, tensioning the same into curved form and retaining the straws within the bottles in such tensioned form, and restoring the normal resiliency to said straws after their confinement within said bottles.

21. In combination with conventional bottle filling and capping mechanism for continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies, apparatus for introducing a normally resilient straw into each bottle prior to the sealing thereof which straw is adapted to extend above the top of said bottle when in unsealed condition, said apparatus comprising means for removing at least a portion of the resiliency from said straws prior to their insertion in said bottles to place the same in a substantially temporarily limp condition, means for successively channeling said bottles to a predetermined straw receiving position, injection means disposed above said position for directing a straw longitudinally into the upper open end of a bottle disposed therebelow, means for guiding the movement of said straws along a course of predetermined movement to said injection means, and means successively introducing said straws into said guide means in synchronization with the movement of said bottles so that each of said straws is projected from said injection means as its respective bottle is disposed therebeneath, and means for restoring said straws to their normal resilient nature after being sealed in said bottles to place the same in tensioned condition within said sealed bottles.

22. In combination with conventional bottle filling and capping mechanism for continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies, apparatus for introducing a normally resilient straw into each bottle prior to the sealing thereof which straw is adapted to rest freely upon the bottom of said bottle and extend above the top of said bottle when in unsealed condition, said apparatus comprising means for successively channeling said bottles to a predetermined straw receiving position, injection means disposed above said position for directing a straw longitudinally into the upper open end of a bottle disposed therebelow, means for guiding the movement of said straws along a course of predetermined movement to said injection means, means successively introducing said straws into said guide means in synchronization with the movement of said bottles so that each of said straws is projected from said injection means as its respective bottle is disposed therebeneath, and bafile means disposed immediately adjacent said capping mechanism and adapted to bend and hold the exposed upper portion of said straws in a direction generally away from the capping mechanism as the bottles are positioned therebeneath and where by the straws are still bent rearwardly with respect to the direction of movement of said bottles when said straw is engaged and depressed by the bottle cap and pushed downwardly into the bottle and held in tensioned deformed state therewithin.

23. A method of continuously and successively preparing bottled drink assemblies which consists in first successively positioning straws constructed of resilient tubular stock in a predetermined position for longitudinal predetermined movement, successively forcibly propelling said straws through such movement and successively introducing the same into a moving line of bottles at a high rate of velocity as said bottles are moved through a predetermined course, moving the bottles successively containing the straws into the path of operation of a conventional bottle capper mechanism and successively capping the bottles with sealing caps and in so doing utilizing the functioning of the capping mechanism to depress the straws downwardly into the bottle, tensioning the same into curved form and retaining the straws in such tensioned form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,282,576 Hamilton et al May 12, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,568 Australia Dec. 22, 1955 653,199 Great Britain May 9, 1951 1,086,125 France Aug. 4, 19 54 

